This invention relates to data acquisition and processing systems, and more particularly to a data acquisition and processing apparatus and method, configuring the resulting information.
Scientists and engineers often use the data acquisition systems to perform a variety of functions, including laboratory and analytical researches, monitoring and control processes, data logging, test and analysis of physical processes, and control of mechanical machinery or electrical/electronic devises, etc. A data acquisition system mostly includes transducers, amplifiers and other means for provision of the signal representation by their measurement and/or monitoring. For example, sensing devices are used to detect the inputting and/or outputting signals. For example, for acquiring analog input signals from a television set, the application may call functions of the device interface software to configure the values of the trigger level, sample rate, and upper and lower input voltage levels of the data acquisition device.
The device by U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,584 provides a data acquisition system comprising attribute-based on an application programming interface (API). The described method includes the step of setting values of the attributes.
According to this patent, the data acquisition system comprises the transducers, providing the field signals representing an equipment being monitored or measured, etc. to the DAQ device 20, a signal conditioning circuitry 22, a central processing unit (CPU), a memory (such as magnetic media or floppy disk), a hard drive, a serial port or parallel port, an attribute setting means, a signal conditioning circuitry 22 including the signal conditioning modules for amplifying, multiplexing and isolating field signals, and a power supply. The DAQ device 20 is configured to acquire or generate signals of distinct I/O types.
The I/O types comprise analog input signals, analog output signals, digital input signals, digital output signals and counter/timer inputs and outputs. The analog input and output signals are received and generated, respectively, on analog xe2x80x9cchannelsxe2x80x9d of the DAQ device 20. The digital input and output signals are received and generated, respectively, on digital I/O xe2x80x9cportsxe2x80x9d of the DAQ device 20. Each channel, port or counter has an associated number which uniquely identifies it with respect to the DAQ device 20 on which it resides.
Such systems do not provide the possibility to research the physical processes of the acquired signals and their phenomena.
Some data acquisition devices usually include, inter alia, low-level device drivers for communication. Another device by U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,546 comprises a data acquisition channel configuration system and method, referred to as the data acquisition Channel Wizard, for facilitating the creation of data acquisition applications. The present invention enables the user to create channel configurations which include information regarding a respective data acquisition and processing hardware channel, such as the physical phenomena being measured/generated and how the phenomena being converted to units which can be measured/generated. The user assigns a name to each respective channel configuration. The method for configuring one or more channels on a data acquisition device comprises receiving at least one channel configuration specification from a user and assigning a name to the channel configuration in response to user input. For analog I/O, receiving the channel configuration specification preferably comprises receiving and storing input from a user regarding units and range of a physical quantity being measured/generated, how the physical quantity is being converted to units which can be measured/generated, and a selected channel of a data acquisition device. For digital I/O, receiving the channel configuration specification comprises receiving and storing input from a user regarding a signal type that is being acquired/generated and the selected port/line of the data acquisition device. For digital I/O, the user can also specify an initial value of an output and an invert signal option. The data acquisition Channel Wizard displays various panels in a configuration window to enable the user to specify the respective channel configuration. The data acquisition Channel Wizard assigns a name to the channel configuration in response to user input.
The DAQ system 100 comprises a DAQ Channel Wizard, providing the channel configurations based on user input, a bus, a serial port or a parallel port, a transducers 106 and other detecting means which provide field electrical signals to/from the DAQ device and a signal conditioning logic 108 including a signal conditioning extension means. The signal conditioning extension means comprises an external chassis housing signal conditioning modules for amplifying, multiplexing, and isolating field signals.
According to the mentioned patent, a channel configuration is a collection of user-defined information associated with a selected DAQ channel. Using this information, the user can configure the hardware to measure an information from a sensor or drive the actuator.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for data acquisition and processing of the acquired parameters by characteristic transformation providing possibility to research the physical processes/phenomena of the acquired parameters.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide an improved method and apparatus for data acquisition and processing.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for data acquisition and processing with characteristic transformation of the acquired data for research of the phenomena presented by this data.
It is still another object of the invention to provide the decreasing of the acquired and formed data processing time for the phenomena research.
Still, further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description accompanying drawings.